Piano-agraffe.



In AVISUS.

PIANO AGRAITE.

APPLIOATION FILI-SI) APE. s, 1908.

- Patented Dec; 29, 1908. i

. LEOPOLD AVISUS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-AGRAFFE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fi1ed. April 3, 1908.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Serial No. 424,861.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD AVISUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Agrafles, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawng accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete description, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to understand, make, and use the same.

Ths invention relates to means to determine the vibratng length or portion of a piano string, (or wire). And the object of the invention is to obtain a device which may be laeed on the bridge of the sounding board o a piano, and also on the pin block, and no 'tendeney to split or otherwise injure the bridge or pin block Will occur by suoh lacing of such device.

A further object of the invention is to obtain a device which is cheaply constructed, easily placed in postion, and not liable to become loosened or moved from its position, and one from which, in case of a broken string, or wire, such string may be removed end a new one readily placed thereon and in engagement therewith.

A further object of the invention s to obtain a device which may be formed up from sheet metal, while at the same time means are provided to obviate all metallic ringing of the strings or wires controlled thereby.

I have illustrated a device embodying this invention in the drawing referred to, in WhCh-- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion or part of a soundng board and bridge of' a iano, showing also some of the pin bloc and stringe thereof, with devices embodying my invention in position under the stringe, on the bridge and on the pio block. Fig. 2 s a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a device embodying my nvention. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, viewed in the direetion indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a sheet metal blank, from which the metalle part of the devce illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, s formed up. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view, on line 5-5 of Fig. 6, viewed in the direction indioated by the arrows, of a modification of the construction illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the modification shown in vertical section in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a sheet -metal blank, from which the modfication illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, is formed up. Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, perspectives of a wooden or composition metal block forming clemente in the construction illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and Fig. 10 is a perspective of a steel piu 01 rod forming an element in the construction illustrated in Figs. 2, 8 and 4.

A reference letter applied to designate a given part is used to indicate such part throughout the several figures of the draw ing, wherever the same may appear.

A is the frame of the piano, B the sounding board, C the bridge, D the pin block, and al the hitch pin plate. E, is a device embodying my invention: and F is a modification of the construction of the device E.

The construction of the devices E are Well illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing, and suolo device consists of a sheet metal blank, (see Fig. 4), bent or formed up to obtain body portion G, side wings or ears g, g, and the end wing or ear g, with recesses' hereinafter speciiically described, therein. The side wings or ears g, g, are bent up at substantially right angles to the body portion G, on the lines H, H, and the wing or ear g is bent upward on line h into substantially the position thereof illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Ear 9 is provided with notches h, h, in which notches the stringe or wires of the piano lie when the device is in use, to keep sucl1 stringe in suitable relative position. The body portion G of the blank is provided with the hole I, through which screw J extends to attach the device in position: and is also provided with the punched out triangular part J, to prevent movement arourrd such screw. The side wings g, g, are provided with the reeesses L, M, and N. V\/l1en such ears are bent up into position, as described, the wooden or composition metal block or bar 0, (see Fig. 8), may be put into position in recesses L, L: the wooden or composition metal block or bar P, (see Fig. 9), may be placed in position in recesses M,- M: and when the devree is put in pos1tion for use and the strings X, X, are drewn over the device, such strings Will rest on such blocks or bars O, 1". 7

The pin or rod Q, (see Fig. 10),preferably a steel pin, may be forced into piace in recesses I: N, ater the stringe X are in place over the blocks or bars 0, 1?.

The several reoesses L, M end N, are so associated relative to each othe'r, tlmt when the blooks or bere 0, 1, and the rod or pin Q ere put into position, as above described, and as 1s well illustreted in 1*ig. 3 01 the drewing, tl1e rod or pin Q forees tne stringe down between the bloolrs or bars U, P, deleeting tl1ern froln a horizontal piene, thus insuring a lirm beering or resting or the string on sueh blocks or bars O, P.

in forming up this devioe'the body portion G 0'f tne blenk is preferebly s11ghtly concaved on the u-nder side thereof, es le shown et ii, iig. 3, so thet tension on the screw J Will et 1111 times be maintained. '11'1e screw J and the point ii ere tlre only means by which the device is atteehed to the bridge C and no danger of splitting tbe bridge is incurred thereby.

The modiiieation illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, obviates the use of tlre bloclrs or bare 0 and 1?, end reteins tl1e recesses N, N, end pin or rod Q. in this modiiication one end of the body portion G 01" the blank is prolonged, es et G, 1*ig. 7, end such end is bent up on the lines H, H, to OHI1 bridge S, 1llustreted in 1*igs. 5 and 6. And suoh bridge S perforrns the same iunctions as the bloek or, bar 0. This modification, (-illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7) mey be used on bridge C, when it is considered tl1at metelic sound produeed tl1ereby in the vibretion of the strings engaging tlerewith is not oojectionable. Where it is preferred to have tue strings rest or bear on wood or composition metal, (es Bebbitt or type metal), on the bridge, tl1e 1nodifioetron illustreted in ilfligs. 5, 6 end 7 is not used: but in place thereof the device illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is ernployed.

111 the modification dlustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the wings or ears g, g, are reteined, slightly el1enged 111 sbape by the o1nission 01 reoesses L, end M, end tbe end wing or ear g, provided with notches h, h, is re teined: end snob wings or esrs are formed up into substentially the position illustra/neri in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, and the stringe rest in sueh notehes, O bear down thereon.

In the eonstruction illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the blooks or bare O, P, rest on snob bridge, and the pin block D, the plate d, and the bridge are relatively essocieted to slightly raise the strings or wires X, X. The attching of the device to the bridge C by the serew J, with the string Passing over the blooks P, end under tbe steel pin or rod Will result in prevention oli any dropping of the bridge below that wbich sulfioes to streiglnten the wires or stringe: es further dropping Will draw the deviee down therewitb.

I have found tbat by forcing the strings or wires out ofe horizontel piene, end associating tbe piste, pin block end bridge so that the stringe or wires are slightiy l1igher at the point tberein wbieh pesses over or through the device on the bridge than et the ends of snob strings or wires, downwerd pressure of the strings end device 011 che bridge is obtained, end vibration of snob strings or wires is conducted tbrough the bloeks or bers O, P, end tinougn the bridge C, to the sounding board te e greeter ement tban is otherwise clone.

t Will be observed ti1et the bers 0, Fig. 8, ere, respeetively, provided with rebbets U, U, such rebbets engeging with one end of the body pari; G. Tire stringe or the instrument are foreed down on the bers i), es hereinbefore described, end snob stringe tend to hold the end of the body pert wbieh is within this rabbet, down on to the bridge (2, perticalerly in the case of eny ioosening of tbe serew J end tl1e depth 01" the noteb li in tbe geer g, relative to the bar issueh that upon eny loosening of screw J snob strings will also hold sueh end of time body pert G down on to the bridge.

Having thus described my invention;the eonstruction of e deviee embodying the seme, and the operetion thereof, what I clairn es neW end desire to secure by Letters Petent is;-

1. A11 agrafl'e comprising e sbeet metal blenk formed up to obtein a base end sides, snob base conceved on tbe nnder side thereof end provided with en aperture therethrough and with a projeetion iorced out therefrorn end snob sides provided respectively with re cesses, in eornbination witl1 bars over which strings mey extend, end a pin arrenged to removably engage With the reeesses and to force tne strings on to the bere; substentielly es described.

2. A11 egrefi'e oomprising e sbeet metal blsnk formed up to obtein a base end sides, sueh sides provided respeotiveiy with recesses, in eombinetion with bers over which strings may extend, end 211 pin erranged to removebly engage with the recesses and to force the stringe on to the bars; substantially es deseribed.

3. A11 agrelle comprising a sheet metal blank formed up to obtein e base end sides, sueh sides provided respectively witb recesses, in combination With bers over which strings may extend end e pin, the bars and pin respectively arranged to removably engage with corresponding recesses and the pin and bars relatively associated se that the pin Will force the strings 011 to the bars substantially as described.

4. An agraffe comprising a sheet metal blank formed up to obtain a base and sicles, such base concave 011 the under side thereof and provided with an aperture therethrough and with a projection forced out therefrom and such sides provicled respectively with recesses, in combination with bars over whieh strings may extencl, and a pin, such bars and pin respeetively arranged te removably engage with corresponding recesses and the bars and pn relatvely associated t0 force the stings on to the bare; substantially as described.

5. An agraffe com rising a sheet metal blank formed up to obtain a base and sides and an end provided with notches sueh base concave on the under side thereof and providecl with an aperture therethrough and with a projecton forced out therefrom, and such sides provded respectively with recesses, in combination with a bar over Which stringe may extend, and a pin arranged t0 rembvably engage with the recesses and to force the strings on to the bar; subs'tantially as described.

6. An agrafe comprising a sheet metal blank formed u to obtain a base, sides and an end, sueh en provided with notches, such base concave on the under side thereof and provided with an aperture therethrough, and such sicles provdecl respectively With recesses, in combination with a bar over whieh strings may extend, and a pin, sucb bar and the pin respectively arranged to removably engage with corresponding recesses on the sides, the bar and pn relatively associated to foree the strings on the bar, and such bar provded with a rabbet to engage with one end of the base; substantially as described.

7. A11 agraffe comprising a sheet metal blank formed up to obtain a base, sides and an end, such end provided with notches and sueh sides respectively provicled Witl1 recesses, in combination wth a bar over which strings may extend and a pin arranged t0 removably engage with the recesses to force the strings 011 the bar, substantially as described.

LEOPOLD AVISUS.

In the presence of- CHARLES TURNER BROWN, EDWARD J. BROWN. 

